Heigus Reactor
The GNX/F-H Drive, commonly referred to as the "Heigus Reactor" or "Heigus Drive", is an advanced CMF reactor design that functions similarly to the Fold Reactor design of UCR Origin. However, instead of taking exotic matter and energies from Fold Space, the Heigus Reactor makes efficient use of the Exotic Particle emissions that result as a byproduct of standard CMF GNX/F Drives. As such, while incredibly powerful these drives are also incredibly expensive, and are limited in production. Developemental History While referred to as its own type of reactor, the Heigus Reactor, per its designation, is actually an overhauled and redesigned version of the CMF GNX/F drive. The original GNX/F drives, enhanced by Forerunner technology, were found to emit what are referred to as Heigus Particles, which had many unique properties. After the Second Fall of Cineris, DARPA R&D was tasked with redesigning the drives as part of the CMF's plan to add "Super-Dimensional" capabilities to their military to defend against such threats in the future. The first successful Heigus Drives were used as the primary power source for the Garde Heavy Interceptor, and eventually used to retrofit certain GNX/F-501 Delta Dagger, VF/A-924 Wyvern, and VF-43 Stauros units in 2582 to enhance their combat potential among Special Forces. As of Late April 2582, Ship-born variants are being designed to eventually assist in Naval Engagements and Operations. Applications & Uses The GNX/F-H Drive, being a direct upgrade to the GNX/F Phase 3X Drive, performs mostly the same roles, with additional capabilities. The intended applications of the Reactors are as follow: *Super-Maneuverability: While never implemented as the primary source of propulsion in any CMF units, the Heigus Reactor is capable of secondary propulsion in the case of damaged primary propulsion sources, or to be used in tandem with the primary sources in order to provide super-maneuverability to even the bulkiest of units. The propulsion of the Heigus Reactors is the opposite of standard thermonuclear engines, focusing instead on precise movements and movement similar to levitation in a more forerunner-like way, allowing units to hover in place or move side to side without redirecting their other propulsion features. *Solar Charging: A standard GNX/F feature since the Phase 2 drives, the GNX/F-H Drive's forerunner tech allows it to draw power from natural light, primarily functioning as a means to ensure the secondary and emergency functions always have a means of being powered should the other power sources of the unit fail. *Short-Range Relocation: Inherited from the Phase 3X drive used as a base, the GNX/F-H Drive has the ability to use its compacted PTS Drive to perform instantaneous short range jumps to relocate itself in combat. The upgraded H-variant also allows for more general purpose long range jumps, although these require more time to charge. *Heigus Particle Enhancement: With the use and manipulation of the Heigus Particles, the GNX/F-H Drive can both enhance multiple features in the host unit as well as provide unique functionalities depending on the scenario; these uses increase in the hands of a good pilot or with proper planning. Examples include: **Beam Strengthening: The most noticeable feature of the Heigus Reactors, the Beam Weapon capacitors for host units are powered by the Heigus Reactor instead of the usual Thermonuclear Reactor, resulting in highly condensed beams of Heigus Particles. These beams are much more powerful than standard beams powered by thermonuclear reactors, as the exotic particles react violently with their target; these beams, upon impact, bleed away at shields and eat through armor for a short time before dissipating. This effect scales with the size of the beam cannon; smaller beam guns mounted for CIWS systems operate almost the same but with slightly more bite, while larger beam cannons, such as the main gun of the Garde Interceptor or the turret of the VF-43 Stauros, become multiple magnitudes stronger than they normally would be, able to take out most units with a charged blast. **Strengthened Armor: The Heigus Particles produced by the Reactors can also be used to strengthen the armor of the host unit in a manner similar to Energy Conversion Armor. In fact, these two methods are occasionally used in tandem to provide armor strength similar to that of Ship Armor, at the cost of diverting most power from shielding. **Pin-Point Barrier Formation: Similar to UCR technology, the use of these exotic particles in shielding can be used to produce focused shielding in specific areas. These barriers, when focused to specific points, are incredibly durable, and can absorb large amounts of damage before falling. Similar to the Armor strengthening process, however, this focuses most power to the shields. **Jamming / Disruption: In large quantities, the Heigus Particles produced by the reactors naturally act to jam communications and some electronics. While this also effects the unit's ability to communicate with allied units, it is useful in repelling enemy intrusion and communications when used properly. Category:CMF Category:Church's Work